By NANCY HILER
In years past, veterans associations from Bellmore and North Bellmore sponsored two separate parades. This often divided onlookers, including parents who had children marching in both. It also split up participating youth and other groups and community resources.
"Parents kept on saying they were torn by having one of their kids marching from Gunther or Newbridge in the north and another from the high school in the south," explained Frank Colon, commander of the North Bellmore American Legion Post 1749, one of the veterans groups sponsoring the parade.
Pressure for the change, he said, also came from the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores, which covers the entire community. "For years the Chamber of Commerce has wanted one big parade," Colon said.
Another reason for the consolidation is to bring more people together to show support for the veterans. "Crowds on the sidelines were dwindling little by little over the years," explained Rich Kreppein, vice commander of Bellmore American Legion Post 948, another parade sponsor, "and so were some participants in the parade, including veterans who are dying off. This way we'll have more support."
Why merge now? "This year, we had the right people in place," Colon said. Leaders from each of the veterans'organizations who sponsored past parades, including the Bellmore and the North Bellmore American Legion posts as well as the Bellmore VFW post, were willing to get together and compromise, he explained.
In the past many youth, civic and other community organizations, including some Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, were forced to split up or had to choose to participate in one parade over the other. Bellmore and North Bellmore fire departments went their separate ways. First and 7th Precinct police and local EMS personnel had to be spread between the north and south locations.
"It'll be nice to have community spirit all the way through," added Kreppein. "I feel sorry about [not marching down] Merrick Road" this year, he added, but said that he hopes those people will come over to the start of the parade at Petit Avenue or join the onlookers along Bedford Avenue in town. He said when there is greater support and "more clapping, it feels exhilarating."
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is clearly about paying homage to those who have given their lives serving the nation in times of war. During the Bellmore-North Bellmore parade, U.S. military of the past and present will be honored in several ways.
The traditional, separate veterans' ceremonies will take place as usual in north and south locations, but will be held before and after the march this year. In Bellmore, the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars will hold their observance at the veterans' memorial on Petit Avenue beginning at 9 a.m. The North Bellmore ceremony, which includes a rifle salute by the North Bellmore American Legion, will take place at the veterans' monument on the Newbridge Road School grounds at about 11 a.m.
The Blue Star Service Banner, which is usually posted in the window of a home of someone currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, will be displayed outside the Bellmore Presbyterian Church along the route on Bellmore Avenue. Crosses will also be planted in the grass in front of the church to honor members of the military who have died Operation Iraqi Freedom. The banner features red background with a white field with a blue star sewn onto it, and has been in use since World War I.
This year's grand marshal will be state Sen. Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. The combined parade will consist of groups that marched in only one of the parades in the past. These include the Mepham High School band, three blended bands made up of students from the six North Bellmore elementary schools, both Bellmore and North Bellmore fire departments, the Ford Model A and Bellmore Corvette clubs, and a number of Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, as well as the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores and at least five local veterans organizations.
For now the consolidated parade is an experiment. There will be one parade for the Bellmores for two years at least, the route reversed from heading north this year to heading south next year. Following the 2007 parade, the event will be reevaluated to determine if consolidation was successful, and a decision will be made about the future.
Everyone is invited to the parade, which is scheduled for Monday, May 29, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Bellmore Fire Department on Petit Avenue. The route proceeds north on Bedford Avenue through the center of town to Oak Street, then straight north up Bellmore Avenue to the Newbridge Road intersection. The parade then turns south on Newbridge Road to veterans' monument on Newbridge Road School grounds for the planned ceremony.
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